Boy Scouts on Track to Allow Gay Leaders

The Boy Scouts of America’s executive committee unanimously approved a resolution to lift a ban on allowing gay adults to serve as Scout leaders, according to a statement released Monday. The resolution “will allow chartered organizations to select adult leaders without regard to sexual orientation.” The Boy Scouts of America attributed the shift in policy to “rapid changes in society and increasing legal challenges at the federal, state, and local levels.” The National Executive Board will meet July 27 to ratify the resolution. The move comes less than two months after Boy Scouts of America President Robert Gates, who is also a former secretary of defense, urged the organization to lift the ban.